Foot alignment device and method of making the same



Dec. 20, 1949 Q OGDEN 2,492,059

FOOT ALIGNMENT DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 27, 1948 A I IA 7 W8 48 Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOT ALIGNMENT DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved foot alinement device, and the method of use thereof for the purpose of treating the feet and correcting faulty foot posture.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus comprising a support and a pair of foot plates mounted thereon and separately and independently adjustable so as to determine the degree of faulty posture of the patient due to foot faults; the provision of an apparatus as aforesaid in combination with a measuring level device which is adapted for quick and easy reading of the degree of fault found in the patients feet, whereby a wedge may be made according to such measurements for insertion in a prescribed shoe to correct the faults of the feet and to maintain such corrections so as to permanently change the structure of the foot for a complete cure.

Another object of the invention is to provide doctors and other medical practitioners with simple and effective means by which they can improve and correct faulty foot posture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating the foot plate support, part being in section;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the measuring level device;

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating foot postures; and

Fig. '7 is a view illustrating the component parts of the wedge inlay.

A great majority of the foot conditions in this country are overlooked and untreated by the medical profession because there is no practical method or treatment for correction of faulty foot posture. Any work done along these lines involves guess work, extensive mechanical work, and elaborate and usually ineffective preparations, such as cast reproduction.

Casts cannot be said to represent a biological foot under functional conditions. A cast of a foot can only represent one given position, i. e., the position it was taken in. When bare feet in standing position are used as models, rather than casts, such feet can be made toassume any desired position necessary for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining corrected foot posture.

Shoe wedging has long been recognized as the 2 correct approach to the problem but therapeutic value in this method has been nullified because of poor work and poor fitting and because it is necessary to have the work done by unskilled persons who do not have the requisite knowledge of foot anatomy. Of course, the doctor has no control of such a patient since the doctor must depend on outside sources for the work; he does not do it himself. Also, it is well known that the use of wedges has heretofore been made difficult because the patient often refuses to wear shoes with the Wedges due to their poor fit and clumsy appearance.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a cabinet, base or platform generally indicated at l0, which may be made of any suitable material but which is preferably portable and is provided with a relatively strong top element l2. This top element I2 is provided with a pair of slots I4, which extend substantially from end to end of the top element I2 and terminate in enlargements l6.

In each slot there is provided a sliding bolt or the like l8, having a handle 20 and a flange 22, and being in working cooperation with a swivel barrel 24, so as to run the bolt into the barrel and clamp the device in the slot [4 thereby.

The barrel 24 rotates on its axis and contains a ball 26 supporting a standard 28 for universal pivoting movement, as indicated by the dotted lines 38. A handle 32 is threaded or otherwise connected with the barrel 24 so as to clamp the ball 26 in any position desired.

The top of the standard 28 is provided with a platform 34 having a central stud 36 extending upwardly therefrom. This stud 36 projects into an undercut slot 38 in a foot plate 40, there being a bolt l8, foot plate 40, etc., for each foot, as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The projection 36 extends upwardly into a downwardly opening recess in the bottom of the foot plate 49 at the forepart of the plate. The foot plate is flexible and can be twisted in any direction without breakage and has the general outline of the foot including heel and ball portions.

The foot plate 40 is supported at the heel by means of a standard 42 adjustably clamped in the slot I4 by means of a hand wheel and bolt arrangement 44, similar to that at 2!].

The foot plate 40 is provided with an adjustable flange or projection 46 which is capable of forward, horizontal and backward movement is positioned under the heel and the astragaloscaphoid joint and this stabilizes the heel or I! rearpart of the foot relative to the fore part of the foot. A heel plate 48 is also provided. A foot plate or guide 50 likewise may be provided for use in certain cases where necessary as, for instance, where a short person or child should have the feet closer together than as permitted by slots M in order to assume a normal stance. A hand rail or stand 52 is provided at the front of the support It for the convenience and security of the patientas he stands on the foot plates.

An adjustable stop element 65 is mounted on plate 34 to provide a marker for measuring the protrusion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint and also to set the stand to position it directly beneath the ball of the foot.

A measuring and level device generally indicated at 54 is shown in Fig. 5,and' thi'sdevice' is shown at its lowermost measuring or zerozpoint at. 56, since its bottom surface 58 rests on the top l2. This device comprises a scale fill-andan adjustable ..plate '62 which. measures the distance vertically from the element 56.

In the operation of the device the patient stands on the foot plates and the elements 46' are adjusted to suit the patient,-the elements 46 being brought in and to therear to contact the concave portion ofthe bottom of the foot at the-forward portion of the heel- Thus, for a small foot, the elements 46 are adjusted rearwardly, and for a larger foot, they are adjusted forwardly. Also, the elements Stare used-to-locate the first metatarsophalangeal joint, and of course must be longitudinally adjusted to suit, because the distance'to'the heel variesin substantially allcases. It is, of course,-assumed that the foot plates'are first levelas, for instance, by using the measuring device 54 which is placed on the top surface of the cabinet. Then the. entire supporting standard comprising-the parts I 8, 20,24, 28, 34, is moved longitudinally ina slot I l-so as to correctly position the support for the front of the foot under the ball. The distancerfrom the heel to the ball of the foot varies with every patient and must be changed with each individual foot.

Now, with the weight equally balanced on the foot plates, the tendo-Achillis is observed and if it appears to deviate from-a perpendicular in any way, as for instance is illustrated-as to one fault inFigVGA, it will be seen that the patient may be fiat-footed, or haveweak arches or some other faulty'foot posture of one form or another. In any case, when faulty foot posture is present, theheels of the patient being'located'against-the heel plates 48, as above-described,'eachhandle 32 is grasped and-because of the-universals 26, and the factthat the plates*MIare-fieXibla-the latter may be twisted to any degreewithin need to-level the feet to correct position. The-heel portions of plates'til can rotate to a small-degreeona vertical axis-as required by the degree "of twisting of the'foreparts of plates 40. When additional heel alignment isrequired, it-is possible to obtainthis-by adjusting element 46-to insure that the body weight will be received in the line of the center of gravity, thus obtaining the desired alignment of the ten do Achillis. In other words, the desired alignment-is-achieved by governing the heel portion of the foot in accordance with the pre-adjustment of the forward portion of the foot,'all as obtained through the use of the device, as above described. By this manipulation of the foot plates andpl'atf'orms '34, 'thefeet are leveled'to a degree where'a straig'li-t lin'eofthe tendoAchillis is observed'asat B,- Fig. 6. Thefirst toe is aligned by holding it down by means of an adhesive strap or merely manually or by any other suitable means so that a straight line is obtained from the outside tip of the great toe along the inner border to the ball continuing backward so that it will touch the inner side of the heel. This line is along the inside of the foot from toe to heel. This then determines the degree of correction of raise necessary to maintain the feet in the B condition. This position is' maintained by tightenin the clamps by means of the handle 32 and when the patient steps off thedevice, thedegree of discrepancy is then recorded by using the measuring level device 54. 0f course, itiis understood that the point at 56 in the measuring device is at a constant so that merely byvertically adjusting the element 62, the degree-of discrepancy is easily arrived at and this gives the operator the thickness of wedges necessary to bring about, permanent foot alinement. After the measurement is recorded, the foot plates are again leveled.

As shown in'Fig. -7, thereare a series-of wedges labeled .01, .02, etc. These are preferably made ofcellulose acetate fabric-and are adapted to be made in stock sizes. These wedges are all /8 thick at their thicker edge and taper off to a feather edge oppositely thereto.

The operator new positions the Wedges that he desires to use and assembles them together to build up a thick edge varying in thickness corresponding to 'themeasurements he has made in the measuring device and having an area corresponding to that required in order to obtain the heightnecessary. The wedges are processed with alacquermaterial to cement them together and are now semi-softand pliable so that the entire assembled device may bepressed against the-patients foot while the foot'is extended and the patient seated on a chair. Handpressure is used topartially'moldand shape the assembled wedges to the foot and to accommodate for abnormal bonyprominences or deformities.

After such molding and shaping, the assembled wedges are placed on the footplates and while still pliable the patient is asked to stand on them. Care must be taken to keep the molds in place while the patient is in position. The Operator uses his fingers to keep the wedges in proper position and with both 'feet on the'foot plates the patient is asked-toequalize the pressure so that he is standingequally on'each foot. The patient is to standon both feetfor-two minutes during which period additional wedges may be placed if necessary. The wedges now place the tendo Achillis in a straight line'as at B with the foot plates on a level. The patient may then step oif thefootplates and the assembled wedges are cut to-shape'tafit ashoepreviously prescribed. The wedges-are .placed-in the shoesand the patient isallowed to-standon themfor a minute. After walking for two hours, the appliance is rigid enough-to hold the adjustmentsmade to obtain constant foot alinement.

The appliance may be completed-in the following manner: The'top surface ofthe appliance is painted with lacquer and the'rough surface of the leather is paintedwith lacquer, then these two'wet surfacesfare placed together and pressed against theipatients foot toadliere and to smooth out wrinkles inthe leather. The inlay is placed in the shoe again. Patient is allowed to stand one minute after which the appliances may be'worn' indefinitely. This operation is advisable to be completed on second visit although it can be completed immediately as explained.

It is to be understood that the tilt required for correct posture will be in whatever direction is necessary to accomplish the purpose. Hence, if an arch is too high, the tilting will be in a direction opposite to that described.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise then as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. Device of the class described comprising a support, an upright and a spaced universal joint thereon, a flexible foot plate having a heel portion on the upright and a ball portion on the joint, and means to adjust the universal joint to twist the foot plate at the ball portion relative to the heel portion thereof to determine correct foot alignment of the patient.

2. Foot alinement appliance comprising a support, a generally rigid, upright thereon, an angularly tiltable upright on the support in spaced REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,577,203 Cramer Mar. 16, 1926 2,043,187 Owens June 2, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Coufitry Date 483,673 France May 5, 1917 

